Chapter 8 Multiple Choice

A common concern for west African Muslim jurists and clerics was (A) the persistence of pagan beliefs and practices among its population. (B) control of the trans-Saharan trade. (C) influence of Christianity on west Africans. (D) the practice of polygamy by many African families. (E) the puritanical nature of west African society

a

The first black African states and civilizations developed (A) in the Sahel, the grassland belt south of the Sahara. (B) in the tropical forests along the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean. (C) in the Ahaggar and Atlas Mountains around and in the Sahara. (D) along the coasts of east Africa. (E) in the highland plateaus of Ethiopia.

a

What was one of the major differences between African civilizations and other post classical societies? a. African civilizations built somewhat less clearly on prior precedent than did other post-classical societies. b. Prior to 800, African civilizations had no prior contacts with civilizations outside of the African continent. c. There were no civilizations in Africa until after the post classical period. d. African civilization was almost entirely dependent on cultural importations from Islam and the Arabic world. e. African civilizations were based on hierarchal and patrilineal models, not democratic and matrilineal.

a. African civilizations built somewhat less clearly on prior precedent than did other post-classical societies.

What was the impact of the Portuguese arrival on the trading patterns of the east African coast? a. Despite great effort to shift the focus of trade into their hands, the Portuguese were never able to control trade on the northern Swahili coast. b. The Portuguese allied themselves with Christians from Ethiopia in a combined assault on the east African coast. c. The Portuguese arrival disrupted normal trade lines so severely that African trade with India and southeast Asia ceased to exist for centuries. d. The Portuguese rapidly used military superiority to control all aspects of trade along the east African coast. e. The Portuguese bypassed the Swahili coast on their way to more valuable trade in Java.

a. Despite great effort to shift the focus of trade into their hands, the Portuguese were never able to control trade on the northern Swahili coast.

Songhay was originally dominated by which African empire? a. Mali b. Ethiopia c. Axum d. Zimbabwe e. Soumauro

a. Mali

What region of Africa was first converted to Islam by 700 C.E.? a. North Africa b. East Africa c. Central Africa d. West Africa e. South Africa

a. North Africa

What ruler was responsible for the creation of the Songhay Empire? a. Sunni Ali b. Mahmud of Ghur c. Sundiata d. Muhammad the Great e. Mansa Kankan Musa

a. Sunni Ali

Between 800 and 1500 as the frequency and intensity of contact with the outside world increased, which of the following had the most significant impact on sub-Saharan Africa? a. The arrival of Islam b. The arrival of Chinese merchants c. The arrival of the Portuguese d. The arrival of Christianity e. The arrival of the Mamluks

a. The arrival of Islam

Which of the following statements concerning the impact of Islam on sub-Saharan Africa is most accurate? a. The spread of Islam into Africa brought large areas into the global community. b. Despite widespread conversion of Africans to Islam, the continent remained outside the trading sphere of the Islamic world. c. With the conversion of regions of the continent to Islam, Africa became the center of the Islamic world. d. Islam cut off north Africa from the regions of sub-Saharan Africa. e. African development can be understood solely in terms of Islamic influences.

a. The spread of Islam into Africa brought large areas into the global community.

Islam in west Africa (A) was popular with most elements of society. (B) converted the kings and elites first without necessarily affecting the masses. (C) interested merchants alone. (D) confronted an entrenched Christian religion, which resisted conversion. (E) had little lasting effect on the area.

b

The slave trade from west Africa to the Muslim world (A) was abolished once the inhabitants converted to Islam. (B) existed before the arrival of Islam but was expanded over the centuries. (C) was introduced by the Muslims. (D) rivaled the trans-Atlantic slave trade in numbers and brutality. (E) preferred male slaves for administration and military occupations.

b

Unlike the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa (A) never developed a classical civilization. (B) was never totally isolated from other civilizations. (C) had little popular migration or trade. (D) developed its indigenous civilizations later. (E) had no extensive river systems or grasslands.

b

Which of the following groups did NOT migrate to the coastal region of East Africa? a. Bantu b. Berbers from north Africa c. Settlers from the Persian Gulf d. Refugees from Oman e. Seaborne immigrants from Indonesia and Malaya

b

What was the military title taken by the later rulers of Songhay? a. Sultan b. Askia c. Caliph d. Griot e. Dhow

b. Askia

The African traders associated with the Mali Empire were called a. Jenne. b. Juula. c. Soninke. d. Zimbabwe. e. Griots.

b. Juula.

What was the nature of urbanization within the Mali Empire? a. The "cities" of Mali were essentially religious and palace complexes that lacked populations of specialists other than men devoted to religious observances. b. Mali possessed "port cities" along the Niger River such as Jenne and Timbuktu, which flourished both commercially and culturally. c. Few mosques were ever built in Malinke cities, which led to a gradual decline in urban areas. d. As a conquest empire, Mali possessed garrison cities for its soldiers, but failed to develop commercial centers. e. Mali failed to develop cities prior to the rise of a strong monarchy under Sundiata.

b. Mali possessed "port cities" along the Niger River such as Jenne and Timbuktu, which flourished both commercially and culturally.

Which of the following statements concerning the economies of Africa is NOT correct? a. Stateless societies found it difficult to maintain long-distance trade because of external conflicts. b. Much of the region lacked a market economy and was based on self-sufficient agricultural units. c. Settled agriculture and iron working had been established in many areas before the post-classical period. d. Trade was handled by professional merchants, often in kinship groupings. e. North Africa was fully involved in the Mediterranean and Arab economic world.

b. Much of the region lacked a market economy and was based on self-sufficient agricultural units.

Why was Islam so readily adopted by rulers within the Sudan? a. The Muslim concept of religious equality allowed rulers to dispose of the traditional clans and lineages of Africa. b. The Muslim concept of a ruler who united civil and religious authority reinforced traditional ideas of kingship. c. As a monotheistic religion, Islam was much like the traditional religions of Africa. d. Their conversion had been prophesied for many years by the griots who were considered the most important advisors for the monarchy. e. They were all conquered by overwhelming Muslim armies and forcibly converted to Islam.

b. The Muslim concept of a ruler who united civil and religious authority reinforced traditional ideas of kingship.

What was the form of political organization of the Yoruba people of Nigeria? a. The Yoruba state was strongly centralized under a divine emperor who ruled from Ile-Ife. b. The Yoruba were organized in a number of small city-states under the authority of regional kings. c. The Yoruba were organized in small tribal villages under the rule of individual headmen. d. The Yoruba were a stateless people until the arrival of the Europeans in the 1500s. e. The Yoruba were part of the Mali Empire and accepted Mali's king as their king.

b. The Yoruba were organized in a number of small city-states under the authority of regional kings.

African societies organized around kinship or other forms of obligation and lacking the concentration of political power and authority were referred to as a. pastoral groupings. b. stateless. c. proto-empires. d. Islamic tribes. e. Bantu conical clans.

b. stateless.

Many African societies unaffected by either Christianity or Islam developed states without a. borders. b. systems of writing. c. systems of government. d. monumental architecture. e. much success.

b. systems of writing.

After the arrival of Islam, societies in west Africa (A) became largely patrilineal. (B) implemented Islamic law regarding the seclusion of women. (C) often continued to recognize traditions granting women extensive rights. (D) abandoned the tradition of polygamy. (E) abolished slavery.

c

Which of the following statements best describes the indigenous religion of much of sub-Saharan Africa? a. Much of sub-Saharan Africa was Christian but later converted to Islam under military pressure. b. Sub-Saharan groups were influenced by Hindu beliefs brought in through east African trading ports such as Kilwa. c. Animistic religion, belief in the power of natural forces personified as deities, characterized much of Africa. d. Uniquely, African societies lacked any religious principles prior to the arrival of the Christians and Muslims. e. African religion prior to the arrival of the Muslims was typified by an independent form of monotheism characterized by worship in monumental temple complexes.

c. Animistic religion, belief in the power of natural forces personified as deities, characterized much of Africa.

What was the geographical location of the empire of Mali? a. Between the cities of Mogadishu and Mombasa b. Between the Zambezi and Congo rivers c. Between the Niger and Senegal rivers d. Along the Nile river valley e. In the Atlas mountains of north Africa

c. Between the Niger and Senegal rivers

What Sudanic kingdom declined in 1076, making way for new political organizations in the region? a. Songhay b. Axum c. Ghana d. Mali e. Kush

c. Ghana

Which of the following statements concerning Great Zimbabwe is NOT correct? a. "Zimbabwe" actually refers to the stone buildings that were typical of the culture. b. Sofala on the east coast of Africa was the entry point for Zimbabwean goods. c. Great Zimbabwe was constructed by Arab Muslims who were trading with the Bantu residents of the region. d. Great Zimbabwe was both the capital of the kingdom and a religious center. e. By the 15th century, a centralized state had begun to form centered on Great Zimbabwe.

c. Great Zimbabwe was constructed by Arab Muslims who were trading with the Bantu residents of the region.

The "Demographic Transition" is often associated with what change in society? a. Conversion to Christianity b. The adoption of private property c. Industrialization d. The militarization of society e. Agricultural revolution

c. Industrialization

What was the nature of trade for the towns of east Africa? a. Trade was limited to local commerce among the towns and with the hinterlands lying west of the urbanized coast. b. Most trade was focused on caravans crossing the Sahel to north Africa. c. International trade flourished in the urbanized ports of east Africa, including commerce with India and China. d. Trade was limited to gold and salt, which was obtained from Indian traders in exchange for African pottery. e. There was active trade to the Persian Gulf and Egypt, but little beyond those points.

c. International trade flourished in the urbanized ports of east Africa, including commerce with India and China.

To what extent did Islam successfully penetrate the populations of east Africa? a. Most clans and the most important lineage groups outside of the east African cities were converted to Islam in order to participate in trade. b. Few literate people converted to Islam but the vast majority of herders converted rapidly. c. Islam penetrated very little into the interior among the hunters, pastoralists, and farmers, and even the areas near the trading towns remained relatively unaffected. d. Islam spread from the cities to the hinterland in such a way that eventually the countryside was more Islamic than were the cities. e. As in Asia, the conversion of the coastal cities led to almost complete conversion of the populations lying inland.

c. Islam penetrated very little into the interior among the hunters, pastoralists, and farmers, and even the areas near the trading towns remained relatively unaffected.

The Arabic term for the east African coast was a. Gao. b. Dhow. c. Zehnj d. Mandala. e. Askia.

c. Zehnj

Islam was spread through west and east Africa as well as southeast Asia by (A) jihad or holy war. (B) mass conversions ordered by the rulers and monarchs. (C) wandering Sufi mystics. (D) merchants who established Muslim families and traditions. (E) migration to the areas by large groups of Muslims.

d

Islamic teachings in north and west Africa (A) served to divide the people. (B) fostered jihads and crusades between Christians and Muslims. (C) destroyed the trade between west and north African ports. (D) introduced a common bond but did not erase social or ethnic stratifications. (E) put an end to the African slave trade.

d

Sub-Saharan African societies are similar to Latin American Indian societies in that both (A) built classical civilizations without cultural diffusion from other civilizations. (B) developed in mountainous environments. (C) originated complex mathematics and scientific traditions. (D) had numerous similarities making it impossible to generalize about them. (E) were devastated by contacts with Europeans and Arabs, which led to mass epidemics and the death of whole indigenous populations.

d

What was the function of secret societies in African culture? a. They smuggled valuable gold across the Sahara and established vital trade routes with the Mediterranean. b. Because secret societies were restricted to females, they permitted women to have an invisible, but powerful, role in political affairs within African societies. c. They served as a disruptive and revolutionary force in African society forestalling the formation of larger states. d. Because their membership cut across lineage divisions, they acted to maintain stability within the community and diminish clan feuds. e. They brought the practice of slavery to the African continent, which led to the eventual adoption of Christianity by a majority of African tribes.

d. Because their membership cut across lineage divisions, they acted to maintain stability within the community and diminish clan feuds.

What was the most important Christian kingdom in Africa? a. Egypt b. Mali c. Songhay d. Ethiopia e. Kongo

d. Ethiopia

How was the institution of slavery viewed in Muslim society? a. Slaves could never be used as eunuchs or concubines but instead, had to convert to Islam before they could be sold again. b. Slavery was eradicated in Islamic society because of the emphasis on the equality of believers. c. Slavery was viewed as so demeaning that those who were enslaved were good for nothing beyond labor in the fields or the mines. d. In theory, slavery was seen as a stage in the process of conversion of pagans to Islam. e. Slavery was believed to be a permanent condition that rendered the enslaved incapable of entering heaven.

d. In theory, slavery was seen as a stage in the process of conversion of pagans to Islam.

What was the relationship between Islam and the indigenous religions of Africa? a. Because both indigenous African religion and Islam were monotheistic, the two became inextricably intertwined. b. Islam was less flexible than Christianity in accepting the styles and forms of native worship. c. Islam successfully overcame indigenous religious beliefs, and almost all Africans converted to Islam. d. Islam was able to accommodate pagan practices and beliefs in the early stages of conversion e. Islamic teachers attempted to eradicate the animist indigenous religions of Africa.

d. Islam was able to accommodate pagan practices and beliefs in the early stages of conversion

What does the phrase "equality before God and inequality within the world" mean? a. It refers to the indigenous African religions' emphasis on social equality. b. It refers to the powers exercised by the African rulers. c. It means that Africans favored a variety of socialism. d. It refers to the disparity between law and practice in many African societies e. It refers to the equality that all clan heads enjoyed within African society.

d. It refers to the disparity between law and practice in many African societies

Which of the following states represents the development of Bantu concepts of kingship and state-building? a. Songhay b. Mombassa c. Mali d. Kingdom of Kongo e. Ghana

d. Kingdom of Kongo

In what region of Africa was the influence of Islam most profound? a. Ethiopia b. West Africa among the Yoruba and at Benin c. Along the Kongo River d. Sudan and Swahili coast e. Central Africa

d. Sudan and Swahili coast

The puritanical reform movements of the Almoravids and Almohadis arose among what groups of people in Africa? a. The Arabs during the conquest of North Africa b. The Ethiopians and the Coptic Christians c. The Nubians of the early Sudan d. The Berbers, native desert dwellers of North Africa e. The inhabitants of the empire of Mali

d. The Berbers, native desert dwellers of North Africa

The study of population is referred to as a. populism. b. political science. c. positivism. d. demography. e. geography.

d. demography.

The Sahel refers to the a. the part of the Sahara that borders Egypt on the east and Tunisia in the west and the Mediterranean on the north. b. East African coastline that became the primary point of contact for Muslim merchants from India and southeast Asia and African traders. c. series of trading ports that rapidly developed along the Atlantic coast to support the trade in African slaves. d. grassland belt at the southern edge of the Sahara that served as a point of exchange between the forests of the south and north Africa. e. forest zone of central Africa that remained free of Islamic influence largely because of the inability of the camel to withstand the climate of the region.

d. grassland belt at the southern edge of the Sahara that served as a point of exchange between the forests of the south and north Africa.

While all of these peoples migrated to, settled, and influenced north Africa, the only indigenous inhabitants seem to be the (A) Phoenicians (Carthaginians). (B) Greeks and Romans. (C) Vandals. (D) Arabs. (E) Berbers

e

Which of the following was NOT a belief shared by practitioners of many indigenous African religions? a. The view that the land had religious significance b. The idea of a creator deity c. The veneration of ancestors d. Well-developed concepts of good and evil e. A moral code based on one supreme god

e. A moral code based on one supreme god

What was the common cultural trait of the urbanized trading ports of the east African coast? a. Membership in the Soninke tribe b. A common descent from refugees from Bagdad c. The artistic style of the Nok culture d. A single ruling family from the Malinke tribe e. Bantu-based and Arabic-influenced Swahili language

e. Bantu-based and Arabic-influenced Swahili language

What was the social and political function of the griots? a. Griots were the classes of people of the conquest states of the Mali kings who were consigned to labor within the empire's mines. b. Griots were Malinke merchants who served as trade middlemen throughout Africa and most of the Islamic world. c. Griots were religious diviners whose function was to foretell the future and guide the decisions of kings. d. Griots were Islamic religious leaders in African empires and as such, played a powerful role in government. e. Griots mastered the oral traditions of the Malinke and by knowing the past were considered excellent advisors of kings.

e. Griots mastered the oral traditions of the Malinke and by knowing the past were considered excellent advisors of kings.

Following the decline of Songhay, smaller states developed east of Mali and Songhay among what people? a. Nok b. Berber c. Almoravid d. Masai e. Hausa

e. Hausa

What accounted for the downfall of Songhay? a. Defeat and incorporation within the Mali Empire b. Invasion by the Portuguese in their search for slaves c. The rise of the Swahili coast power states such as Kilwa and others d. The collapse of the irrigation system on which the agricultural economy depended e. Invasion by a Moroccan Muslim army equipped with firearms, followed by internal revolts

e. Invasion by a Moroccan Muslim army equipped with firearms, followed by internal revolts

How did the expansion of Islam aid in the creation of international trade on the east African coastline? a. Islamic merchants established banking houses on the coast, which in turn, led to an expansion of trade with the African interior. b. Because Islam regarded Christians as peoples of the book, Muslim merchants came to trade at the Christianized ports of east Africa. c. The connection with the Islamic states of north Africa permitted the urbanized ports of east Africa to trade widely with northern Europe. d. The direct trade routes between the African states of west Africa and the coast of east Africa stimulated commerce between the cities of the east and the Atlantic Ocean. e. Islam expanded to India and southeast Asia providing a religious bond of trust between those regions and the converted rulers of the cities of east Africa.

e. Islam expanded to India and southeast Asia providing a religious bond of trust between those regions and the converted rulers of the cities of east Africa.

Which of the following statements concerning the social organization of the Malinke people is most accurate? a. There was always a sharp division between urban, rural dwellers and outside groups such as Muslim traders. b. The Malinke regarded all members of the tribal group as children of the ruler and thus essentially equal. c. Following their conversion to Islam, the Malinke removed the worst aspects of social stratification in order to achieve social equality. d. The Malinke recognized only two sorts of people, those who were free and slaves. e. Malinke society was divided into three groups, clans of freemen, people devoted to religion, and specialists and tradesmen.

e. Malinke society was divided into three groups, clans of freemen, people devoted to religion, and specialists and tradesmen.

Which of the following statements concerning political and religious universality in Africa is most accurate? a. Universal religions found no adherents in Africa, a fact that helps to account for the failure of a universal political system to develop. b. There were no similarities in the various African religious beliefs, which led to an easy acceptance of universal religions. c. Although a universal empire did not develop in Africa, Islam provided a principle of universality in the continent. d. During the post classical period, Africa was politically united under a single government but remained religiously diverse. e. Neither universal states nor universal religion characterized Africa, but both Christianity and Islam did find adherents in Africa.

e. Neither universal states nor universal religion characterized Africa, but both Christianity and Islam did find adherents in Africa.

How did contact with the Muslim world affect the African slave trade? a. Despite the Muslim acceptance of slavery and its widespread use in Islamic society outside of Africa, Muslims generally refused to accept black slaves. b. Because of the Muslim emphasis on equality of all believers, early Muslim rulers suppressed the slave trade. c. Muslims forced southern Africans to give up slavery. d. Slavery was unknown in African society until the Muslims introduced it. e. Slavery became a more widely diffused phenomenon and the slave trade developed rapidly.

e. Slavery became a more widely diffused phenomenon and the slave trade developed rapidly.

Which of the following statements concerning the Sudanic states of Mali and Songhay is most accurate? a. All the Sudanic populations converted to Islam upon their first contact with Islamic military forces. b. The Sudanic states were distinguished from other African civilizations by the peculiar lack of family or clan lineages as an organizing principle of society. c. Although powerful, the Sudanic states never reached the level of empires. d. What provided the cultural unity necessary for the establishment of states in the Sudan was the conversion of many people to Christianity. e. Sudanic states had territorial core areas in which the people were of the same ethnic background, but their power extended over subordinate communities.

e. Sudanic states had territorial core areas in which the people were of the same ethnic background, but their power extended over subordinate communities.

What monarch is credited with beginning Malinke expansion and creating the Mali Empire? a. Mansa Kankan Musa b. King Lalibela c. Mahmud of Ghur d. Muhammad the Great e. Sundiata

e. Sundiata

What was the form of political organization of the Kingdom of Kongo? a. The Kongo was part of a universal Islamic empire created with the use of the Berbers as soldiers. b. The Kingdom of Kongo was part of the Mali Empire until it broke away in 1550. c. The Kingdom of Kongo was organized into a number of city-states ruled from Ile-Ife. d. The Kingdom of Kongo was a strongly centralized empire ruled by a divine king in Great Zimbabwe. e. The Kingdom of Kongo was a confederation of smaller states brought under the control of the king and divided into eight provinces.

e. The Kingdom of Kongo was a confederation of smaller states brought under the control of the king and divided into eight provinces.

Which of the following regions was NOT one of the important points of cultural contact between Africa and Islam? a. The Sahara b. The Indian Ocean c. The Atlantic Ocean d. The savanna or sahel e. The Persian Gulf

e. The Persian Gulf

Which of the following statements concerning the agricultural economy of Mali is most accurate? a. Land in Mali was owned communally and farmed in clan groups. b. Because of the early introduction of iron working in Mali's culture, the agricultural economy was able to take advantage of extremely advanced technology. c. Because of the poor soil, the majority of the people of Mali abandoned agriculture for trade. d. Metal plows were used frequently and helped spread agriculture throughout the imperial states. e. The farmers of Mali were barely able to provide the basic foods that supported the imperial states.

e. The farmers of Mali were barely able to provide the basic foods that supported the imperial states.

The ruler of the kingdom centered on Great Zimbabwe took the title of a. quadi b. alafin. c. askia. d. mansa. e. mwene mutapa.

e. mwene mutapa.